About the Keg Yield Calculator
This keg yield calculator tells you how many sellable pours you will get from a keg and what each one costs. Choose a keg size — half barrel, quarter (pony), sixth barrel, Cornelius or a metric euro keg — enter your pour size in ounces, the keg price and a loss allowance for foam, line cleaning and spillage. You get the number of full pours, cost per pour, the pour cost percentage at your menu price, and the revenue and gross profit per keg.
It is built for bar managers setting draft prices, event hosts working out how many kegs to order, and homebrewers curious how many pints fit in a corny keg. Because it floors to whole pours, the yield is what you can actually sell, not a theoretical fraction.
US keg sizes are fractions of the 31-gallon beer barrel defined by the TTB, so a half barrel holds 15.5 gallons (1,984 US fl oz). Draft programs commonly lose a few percent to foam and line cleaning; 3%–10% is a reasonable allowance depending on your system and staff training.
With the default inputs, the sellable pours per keg is 117. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the keg yield calculator
- 1Choose the keg size you are buying.
- 2Enter your pour size in ounces (16 for a US pint).
- 3Set a loss allowance for foam, line cleaning and spills.
- 4Enter the keg cost and your menu price per pour.
- 5Read the sellable pours, cost per pour and pour cost percentage.
Formula and method
Keg volume is converted to US fluid ounces (a 31-gallon barrel holds 3,968 oz, so a half barrel is 1,984 oz and a sixth barrel about 661 oz; metric kegs use 29.5735 ml per ounce). The loss allowance removes the share lost to foam, line cleaning and spillage, and the remainder is divided by the pour size and rounded down to whole sellable pours.
Cost per pour spreads the keg price over those sellable pours, so a higher loss allowance raises the true cost of each drink. Pour cost percentage compares that cost with the menu price — many bars target roughly 18%–25% for draft beer. Revenue and gross profit assume every sellable pour is sold at the menu price.
- Keg oz
- Keg volume in US fluid ounces
- Loss
- Share lost to foam, line cleaning and spills
- Pour oz
- Serving size in US fluid ounces
Worked examples
Half barrel, 16 oz pints, 5% loss
A half barrel holds 1,984 oz. After 5% loss, 1,884.8 oz remain, which is 117 full 16 oz pints. At $190 that is $1.62 per pint, a 23.2% pour cost on a $7 price, and $819 of sales for $629 gross profit.
Sixth barrel of IPA in 12 oz pours
A sixth barrel is 661.3 oz; after 3% loss about 641.5 oz remain, or 53 full 12 oz pours. At $120 that is $2.26 a pour — 37.7% of a $6 price, suggesting the price is too low for this keg.
50 L euro keg, 20 oz pours
50 litres is about 1,690.7 US fl oz. After 5% loss, 1,606.2 oz gives 80 full 20 oz pours, so each costs $230 ÷ 80 = $2.88 and the keg brings in $720 at $9.
Frequently asked questions
How many beers are in a keg?+
A full-size US half barrel holds 15.5 gallons, which is 124 pints of 16 oz or about 165 cans-worth of 12 oz pours with no loss. After a typical 5% loss allowance, expect around 117 pints.
How many pints are in a quarter keg or pony keg?+
A quarter barrel (pony keg) holds 7.75 gallons, or 992 US fl oz: 62 pints of 16 oz with zero loss, and about 58 after a 5% foam and line allowance.
How many beers are in a sixth barrel?+
A sixth barrel holds about 5.17 gallons (661 oz): 41 pints of 16 oz or 55 pours of 12 oz with no loss. Sixth barrels are popular for craft beer because they rotate quickly.
What is a good pour cost for draft beer?+
Many bars target a draft beer pour cost around 18% to 25%, though premium craft beer often runs higher. Draft usually has a lower pour cost than bottled beer, which is one reason bars push draft sales.
How much beer is lost from a keg?+
Loss depends on line length, temperature, pressure, cleaning frequency and pouring technique. A well-balanced system may lose 2%–3%, while poorly maintained systems can lose 10% or more to foam and waste.